Cold/Wind Chill — Seattle and Vicinity, Washington

2021-12-28 · Seattle and Vicinity, Washington

Event narrative

A record low was reported at the SeaTac ASOS on the morning of Dec 28th at 17F. This replaces the previous record low temperature of 20F from 1968.

Wider weather episode

A very cold airmass pushed into Western Washington at the end of December, resulting in cold air amidst sufficient moisture and lift as a modified arctic frontal boundary slid south. This made for significant lowland and mountain snow, with a period of drier but much colder weather for the following days. Several climate sites reached record low temperatures during and shortly after the winter storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 998629. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.